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After the pistachio crusted rack of lamb I was thinking about lamb even more. My thoughts naturally came the the Moroccan lamb tagine that I made and enjoyed so much last year. This lamb tagine uses a wonderful blend of Moroccan spices to season the meat before it is braised until it is nice and fall apart tender. Near the end of the cooking some dried fruits and honey are added for a bit of sweetness and some harissa is added for some chili heat. The combination of the flavourful slow braised lamb with the spices and the sweet dried fruit and the warmth is simply amazing and I was salivating at the thought of making it again this year. This time I changed things up just a little. The last time that I made this I used various dried fruits and I chopped them up so that they melted into the sauce. This year I decided to focus on apricots and I left them whole to add a nice change in texture and bursts of apricot flavour to the stew. I also decided to drop the carrots in favour of having the vegetables on the side.

This years apricot lamb tagine easily lived up to my memories of last years and I was thoroughly satisfied! The lamb was perfectly fall apart tender and oh so tasty. All of the flavours in the pot had plenty of time to mingle and get to know each other over the hours of simmering and the lamb was infused with the wonderful results. Despite the strong flavours in the sauce the taste of the lamb still came through and it really works well in this dish. Of course I served the lamb tagine on a bed of light and fluffy whole wheat couscous and I garnished it with some chopped cilantro and pistachios.

I hope everyone has a great Easter!

Apricot Lamb Tagine

Servings: 4

ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pinch saffron

1 teaspoon lemon (zest)

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound lamb (cut into bite sized pieces)

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion (chopped)

1 tablespoon garlic (grated)

1 tablespoon ginger (grated)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (I used chopped sun dried tomatoes)

1-2 cups beef stock

3/4 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons harissa

1/4 cup pistachios (chopped, optional)

1/4 cup cilantro (chopped, optional)

1/4 cup parsley (chopped, optional)

1 cup Greek style yogurt (optional)

directions

Mix the paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cayenne pepper, saffron, lemon zest and oil in a ziplock bag along with the lamb, mix well and marinate the fridge for a few hours to overnight.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-hight heat add the lamb, brown well on all sides and set aside.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and saute for about a minute.

Add the lamb and tomato paste and beef stock, bring to a boil, reduce the meat and simmer covered until the lamb is fall apart tender, about 2-3 hours.

Add the apricots, raisins and more beef stock to cover.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the honey and harissa.

Serve on couscous and garnished with pistachios, cilantro, parsley and Greek yogurt.

Option: For One-Pan: Make this a one-pan meal by adding 1 cup couscous and 1 1/2 cups broth after step 7, bringing to a boil and removing from heat to let sit, covered, until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes.Slow Cooker: Implement step 1, optionally implement steps 2-4, place everything except the garnishes in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Lamb is the perfect meat for curries and other spicy dishes, as no matter what you throw at it, the lamb infuses the flavors while retaining its own character. I love the look and sound of this. Great job, Kevin.

Thanks so much for your comments--I really love your food, and so appreciate your coming to my site. This lamb tangine looks yummo, and I bet chicken (remember that Silver Palate chicken with apricots and prunes?)...and pork...would work too. I'm still thinking of that rack and the pistachios!

I so love lamb...but no one in my household likes it. So I only eat it when I'm in a restaurant. Kevin, judging by all your meal posts, you won't ever have to go to a restaurant again. You eat so well!

This is so gorgeous and mouthwatering! I love lamb and we often make tagines. I am partial to the sweet/savory but have always used prunes. This is yet another of your recipes I am printing out to try!

Hi Kevin! Lamb question for you: what cut of lamb have you used for your stews/tagines? shoulder? leg? I just have had a hard time finding one that isn't too fatty, and I ususally end us trimming about half of the lamb away stuck to the fat.Thanks!

Marta: My butcher has what he calls "stewing lamb" which is already cubed and has already had the excess fat trimmed. It is really convenient and relatively cheap compared to the other cuts of lamb. I believe that it is the shoulder but I may be mistaken.

I made this recipe for my Passover Seder this year. Just AMAZING! Thank you! I made a few slights variations. I did not use the harissa since I've got some people who don't like spicy. Also, I added some white meat chicken to the dish: same spice rub, browned it in a pan and added to the stew together with the honey for the final 20 minutes of cooking. For everyone whose been thinking about making it: Go for it!

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.